Saturday, June 30, 2012

Fires & Floods is a labor of love on all counts. As Matt put it, “This is the first band I've been in since I was 19 that wasn't a serious, oft-touring band that I relied on for income...it's literally a labor of passion.”

These guys have played together for years but despite real world callings and careers still can’t resist playing and creating. fires & floods first LP is fast, dark and ferocious. The project is made up of Rob Fusco, Matt Canning , Phil Bryer, Tony Capponi, and Sean Ward. The mastering is being finished up now by Dean Baltulonis.

Rob is best known for his work in One King Down, Most Precious Blood, and more recently Recon. Matt and Phil played for Twilight Collective and Matt also played in Shai Hulud, Dark Day Dawning and xWIDOMAKERx. Tony and Sean played in Passion and Tony also played with Matt in the Dark Day Dawning and xWIDOWMAKERx.

Friday, June 29, 2012

Canyons - Volume One"From Code Orange Kids to the new Mountain Man 7" to the first album from Old Man Gloom in eight years, the challenge to make heavy music heavier is not only in full effect, but to make it more interesting seems to be the true key as well. One band you may not be hearing much about yet is Kansas City's best onslaught, Canyons. Reminicent of Breather Resist's fury and Coalesce's math skills, Canyons is easily the next big thing when bringing up the terms "brutal," "unforgiving" and "smart" in the same sentence."

-taken from Absolute Punk.net

a couple days ago Canyons uploaded all their material in one easy to nab set of 21 songs

spanning a slew of releases, it starts with 6 brand new songs from their forthcoming split with Toronto's CREEPER

Monday, June 25, 2012

After hearing their Self Titled EP in 2010 I've been a big fan of New Jersey's PHARAOH. Band unleashes a wall of some of the best doom/sludge around.

"This House Is Doomed" features two brand new tracks picking up exactly where the last release left off. The more I listen to it the more I'm set on it being one of my favorite EP's released this year. Do yourself a favor and check it out, and if you enjoy it buy a copy from A389 Records!

Sunday, June 24, 2012

This has been one of my most anticipated releases of the year, and not only has it not let me down, it has exceeded my expectations. After releasing their excellent debut LP Songs For Burning Lovers in 2010, Burning Love has been on a steady regiment of touring and have turned quite a few heads, and with good reason. Their brand of hardcore punk with a heavy influence of rock and roll swagger is both heavy and relentless and undeniably catchy. The assault is fronted by none other then hardcore luminary Chris Colohan, who's vocals in bands like Cursed, Left For Dead and The Swarm among others has cemented him as one of the top vocalists in the genre. Rotten Thing To Say picks up where Songs For Burning Lovers left of and manages to expand and improve on every aspect of the band. These 14 songs are by far the best material from the band so far and are capped off with a stellar recording/production job from none other then Kurt Ballou of God City Studios (and of course Converge). The recording is quite a step up from the first LP, maintaining the dirty quality of that record while adding more clarity and punch. Another of the many standout elements from this record are the scathing lyrics from Colohan covering many different bases, including a haunting song about Karla Homolka (check HERE if you are unfamilar with her) that is most definitely makes for one of the more interesting topics for a hardcore song in quite some time. All and all, Rotten Thing To Say is a record that will be in constant rotation for myself and many others for the rest of the year and beyond, and personally I have almost no doubt that this will end up high in my top ten for the year. Any fan of hardcore punk owes it to themself to at least check this out, and I promise you won't be let down. An essential listen.

Titan are a band from Canada that play a crushing mix of dark hardcore and sludge metal. After releasing two excellent EP's they have finally unleashed their debut LP Burn, and even more awesome is it is available for pay what you want download. As far as I know there is no physical release at the moment, so if you like what you hear on the bandcamp stream above please consider donating a few bucks when you download! HIGHLY recommended.

Slow and down tuned doom/sludge is what Seven Sisters of Sleep do best and their new self-titled EP is no different. These Californian guitar tone connoisseurs have managed to capture the raw sound they produce live in one of the heaviest records you will hear this year. Vocally Seven Sisters of Sleep has achieved a new kind of darkness that blends perfectly with the funeralesqu dirge that is present in all the songs from the EP. Many times I found myself hoping that the finely crafted riffs Seven Sisters of Sleep plays will never end. Take my advice, listen to this record in a dark room and let it envelop you.

Buy this record and watch this band live to fully experience what Seven Sisters of Sleep has to offer.

via Orange County Hardcore Scenester: Blindspot/Strong Reaction Booking in collaboration with iconic visual effects artist and Hardcore enthusiast Evan Jacobs is pleased to announce that the documentary Orange County Hardcore Scenester, written produced, and directed by Evan himself, will have an official screening in Miami on September 15, 2012 in conjunction with the release of the DVD! In order to capture the essence of Evan's film, which documents the California Hardcore scene from '90-'97 by way of his first-hand accounts and includes footage of such bands as Insted, Carry Nation, Mean Season, and Inside Out to name a few we will also be having an exhibition of many noteworthy flyers, fanzines, distro lists, and other memoribilia from this important period in the history of Hardcore.

However, no screening or art exhibition which is striving to capture a period in Hardcore in it's truest form will succeed without a roster of seminal bands from that era! What we have arranged here is not your everyday list of bands who "reform" every two weeks, yet swear they are broken up. Many of these are one time deals for the first time in 20-25 years!

Culture (reunion)

Damnation A.D.

Powerhouse (FL / New Age Records, reunion)

Strung Out

+ Many More TBA Soon!!!!!!!

Tickets on sale Sunday July 15th, 1-3 day passes will be available, stay tuned for prices and link!

For inquiries or to submit relevant items for the exhibition please e-mail Mark: blindspotbooking@yahoo.com

7" compilation comes with a 16 page FULL COLOR fanzine. Physical copies are limited to 150 units, so act fast before they're gone! Also, you can subscribe to receive one copy of all future (7 total) 7" compilations they do.

Wednesday, June 13, 2012

So here's a preliminary mix of the track "Negative Zone". It will appear on our upcoming ep "BORN TO RUIN I: ILL WILL". I'm aware we just released a track but originally this track was supposed to feature the vocals of my good friend Mario Comesanas. As today is the one year anniversary of his passing this is my weak attempt to mark the occasion with something people will hopefully enjoy. Were going to stream it for three days So yeah check it out. -via The Banner

I’ll be the first person to admit it I am probably the last person who should be reviewing this record because I am anything but completely biased, but I have to say I don’t care because this record is impossible to review negatively. I have seen Homewrecker since they started, and have seen how much they have grown and improved, from an awesome straight forward infest style power-violence band with both Matt Barnum and Ryan switching off on vocals, to the completely crushing metallic hardcore band that they have become. Not only have I seen them play but I also played bass for them on their last tour, and had a great time. These dudes are fun and some of the goofiest dudes you’ll ever meet, and on top of that they shred.

On to the album…..Worms and Dirt is absolutely flawless, and I am not just blowing smoke. I have been telling people that from the moment I heard it that it is by far one of my favorite records ever released coming out of the “holy terror” style, or whatever you want to call it. Homewrecker have the perfect blend of pissed off power violence (think Left for Dead/Infest) and metallic hardcore (Integrity/In Cold Blood). I don’t think there is a single band that manages to blend these styles in a more perfect unison than Homewrecker, with the exception of Pulling Teeth.
The introduction, Wreck, is the perfect precursor to what the album will deliver, straight forward and crushing…and although I am generally put off by movie clips in songs they found the perfect one, it sounds like it was made for them. The stand-out song for me is by far Pipe Dreams. I think that Pipe Dreams is such a brilliant track, from the killer opening solo to the heavy breakdown ending, it offers a little something of everything I want in an album like this.

Recorded by Bill Korecky (Integrity, Ringworm, Catharsis) the album is beefy and crisp, what you’d expect from Cleveland Hardcore. The thing that threw me at first was the vocals. The amount of reverb at first was a bit off putting, but I have to say, sitting down with the album now for the 20+ listen I think the reverb is amazing. Ryan’s vocals have been improving since day one and I think he has really come into his own this record. He has a deafening scream, but still manages to have great pronunciation.

This record has a little something for everyone; it is not exclusive to a389 fans, nor metallic hardcore. If you haven’t heard Homewrecker start with this, if you have and you weren’t blown away I am willing to bet this record will completely change your opinion of the band. This is by far their best work. The record feels like it is over before it begins, and begs to be replayed immediately. With the addition of great guest vocal spots by Tony from Masakari and Dylan from Full of Hell, as well as awesome artwork from Szymon Siech this is going to be my favorite purchase of the summer.

Tuesday, June 12, 2012

West coast hardcore nomads GEHENNA have announced that they will be embarking on a short tour of the US northeast coast this summer in support of their new split 7" with INTEGRITY (Holy Terror Records).

Armed with a new drummer (R.D. Davies of the legendary INFEST), GEHENNA promises to devastate everything in it's path with their primitive and barbaric brand of raw metallic hardcore. Asides from their appearances at the A389 Anniversary Bash in Baltimore, this will mark the first time GEHENNA has played other shows on the east coast in over 15 years.

FULL OF HELL will also be playing another series of US tour dates, this time taking them up and down the east coast to the incredible 305 FEST in Florida where they will perform alongside BASTARD NOISE, IRON LUNG and many more.

Hardcore, lets admit, has
kind of gotten a bit stale over the years, every band has clear cut influences
and many draw from a single band so heavily that what you get in the end is not
as much a creative re-visioning of a movement or a grouping of bands, but a
mini-version of a band that probably did it better in the first place. Every
once in a while a band comes along that have a unique tone and voice, Media
Blitz is one of these bands. Probably my favorite aspect of this album are the
ripping solos that are littered throughout the LP. Punk has been severly
lacking some intricate solos; I say less breakdowns, more solos. Or fuck it…..
breakdown-solos it doesn’t matter. MB’s guitarist isn’t just playing as fast as
he can either, his solo’s are very well written, and I have seen them live and
can tell you that he nails them live.

Aside from the guitarwork the
most notable feature of Media Blitz are the vocals. Completely snotty and
pissed vocals lay over the tracks. Hardcore should sound pissed and Media Blitz
definitely achieves that goal. The songs still however manage to have an almost
melodic sense, the riffs are very catchy and get stuck in my head. Media Blitz
merge influences from all over the place, into a great unified sound. While
they aren’t in any sense re-inventing the wheel, they for sure don’t sound like
a carbon-copy replication of any one band I have ever heard.

With 12 tracks the album is
perfect length, no single track clocking at more than 2 minutes and change
(most staying under 2) the album isn’t long enough to get boring, and isn’t
short enough to leaving you bummed that it is over. I would have to say that
the only criticism I can think of the record is that the vocals are a bit loud
and tend to overwhelm the recording. Personally I like vocal mixes to be a bit
more buried, but it isn’t either really a bad thing as I think I may be in the
minority when it comes to that preference.

Do yourself a favor and check out Media Blitz by downloading the album, buying
the record and see them on their upcoming summer tour!

Monday, June 11, 2012

Track List: - Division- ivi- Severance- In Its Wings, A Wind Has Wrapped Them- Of One Accord- N

"Brighter Arrows, with this record and the two songs they're releasing on a split with Locktender, have set the stage for themselves to be an incredibly important player and innovator in the scene of music that I post on CTD. Please buy this from The Ghost is Clear or Fairweather Records (it's on a way cool 10") and support Brighter Arrows when they play near you." - circle the drain

Friday, June 8, 2012

Locktender / Brighter Arrows split 10" Preorders get clear vinylpressing info is 100/ clear 400/ blackLocktender from CLEVELAND, OH contain / reformed out of the ashes from “Men As Trees”. On this split 10" is one epic heavy brutal hardcore song that expands over 10 minutes that just leaves your ears bleeding and jaw dropped in disbelief.Brighter Arrows from Chesterton, IN/Chicago, IL just continue the tradition of midwestern mid90ies emo w/ beautiful melodies, passionate lyrics and a lot of goosebumps. It reminds me a lot of bands like The Pine, Casket Lottery and a little bit of Mineral. Just beautiful. Two awesome songs. They also just released a a great 6 song ep "Division and what it is to Abide" as a 10" on The Ghost is Clear Records and Fair Weather Records that are shipping now > get that HERE

The 10" comes in a beautiful inside / out printed 10" sleeve designed by Benny Druckwelle http://druckwelledesign.blogspot.de/

Northern California Screamo outfit BEAU NAVIRE have officially launched preorders for their new full length entitles "Lumens" which is being released on INKBLOT RECORDS(US), REACT WITH PROTEST (GER) & MOMENT OF COLLAPSE(GER) on June 15th.

Monday, June 4, 2012

Washington DC's straightedge powerhouse SICK FIX have just wrapped up their debut LP 'Vexed' which is set to be released this upcoming July on A389 Recordings. Recorded by Kevin Bernsten at Developing Nations (Baltimore, MD), 'Vexed' comes loaded with twelve tracks of fast and crushing, pissed off female fronted hardcore.

Check out the SICK FIX track 'Boudica'

Taken from the upcoming 'Vexed' LP

Formed in 2006, SICK FIX released a self titled 7" (Third Party Records) which was followed by a self released tour demo in 2009. Sharing members with other active regional bands (such as MAGRUDERGRIND, LOTUS FUCKER, NATURAL LAW and COKE BUST) may have hindered SICK FIX from being overly active in the past. However, the band will be making their debut overseas appearance this summer joining COKE BUST on select European tour dates!

Sunday, June 3, 2012

In between the man's wild schedule of filming feature length movies and capturing footage from the best hardcore shows in the country, we were able to get Sunny Singh (proprietor of hate5six) to answer a couple questions for the blog. Enjoy.

Toxicbreed: What is it that drew you to the Hardcore scene in the first place?Sunny Singh: I pretty much listened to Rage Against the Machine on infinite loop throughout middle and the beginning of high school. It was focused anger that I hadn't been exposed to before and I loved it. That caused me to give Inside Out a listen which took everything to a different level. It wasn't so much a focused anger rooted in politics as it was more intrinsic I guess. As I explored what else hardcore had to offer I found different degrees of anger and dissatisfaction manifesting themselves in ways that were foreign to me. Not only that, but I also felt like hardcore was something far more accessible and easier for me to relate to and interact with personally.

TB: You've been recording shows for a few years now; what kind of impact do you think you've had on the current hardcore community? Also, how would you like hate5six to impact the scene moving forward?SS: Some people have issues with me documenting everything, but that's the point: I'm documenting. If we don't take the appropriate measures to preserve what we have and create institutional memory (especially given the turnover rate in hardcore), who the fuck will? Granted, it can be argued that some events are better preserved in our memories, but as an objective observer that's a discussion I can only take so far. At some point I have to separate myself. I hear anecdotes from time to time about people discovering new bands through my videos. Or I get e-mails from people in countries completely cut off from touring hardcore bands who say my videos make them "feel" like they're AT the show. I even get messages from people who are terminally ill or have severe medical conditions who can no longer go to shows and how hate5six enables them to stay connected with hardcore. That stuff is so heavy and hard to handle sometimes, but it pushes me to keep going and take things to the next level. That, I hope, will be a testament to the purpose of hate5six.com--a project ultimately designed to connect people to music while bypassing unnecessary commercialization, and one intended to chronicle the progression (or regression) of our scene. Filming shows is something I think about every day, so if people reflect and see value in the *way* I documented--whether it be stylistically or procedurally--then that will be a huge honor. I dove headfirst into hate5six when I was in a very dark time in my life. It gave me meaning when all meaning seemed nonexistent. It kept me alive in many ways and I never want to half ass anything involving hate5six. It represents my growth and progression through life, so I can only hope that it shows in the work I produce. How do I hope hate5six impacts the scene moving forward? That sorta leads to your next question...

TB: A while back you released a collection of sets you'd filmed on dvd entitled "The Hate5Six Diaries", with all proceeds going to the group One Hundred for Haiti. Tell us a little bit about how this project came to fruition, and what made you chose that particular charity to work with.SS: Greg Bennick gave a really compelling speech during Trial's set at Burning Fight in 2009 and it ate away inside of me for the next few years. He argued that hardcore is this "thing" full of unbridled energy and emotion and he questioned what sort of impact at large would result if we were to take those feelings and screams and do something more with them, specifically in relation to the world outside of hardcore. When he launched One Hundred for Haiti in response to the earthquake in that region, I remembered how I felt when I first heard that speech and decided to take some sort of action. I can point a camera at bands every weekend and post the videos online so kids can relive their stagedives and mushmouthed singalongs, but if there's an opportunity to harness all that and repackage it into direct action and global change, then why shouldn't I/we do that? Society conditions us to be insular, emphasizing the importance of labels and boundaries and definitions that do nothing more than to alienate and divide. What the fuck is the point? For me, being able to do hate5six, let alone go to shows regularly, demonstrates some of the many privileges I have in life. I don't set out to do the "nice" things or fulfill some sort of misplaced savior-complex. I do what I think makes the most sense and The Diaries is the most logical off-shoot of hate5six that comes to mind. So far The Diaries has been able to raise over $2300 for the organization and that money is being used to buy motorcycles to serve as transport systems for doctors and patients in remote villages. They also serve as taxi-cab services in order to empower the Haitian people to earn money and pay off the micro-loans One Hundred for Haiti has provided them for the vehicles. Being proactive means doing more than just raising money and throwing it at a cause. I think One Hundred for Haiti has the perfect approach; they're helping to empower the people of Haiti to rebuild their livelihoods. I do hope to continue this project with future Volumes to benefit other charitable organizations, but I haven't given much more thought than that just yet. I could still be doing more. Everyone could still be doing more. Never settle, never be content with anything.

TB: You've had the opportunity to film so many shows over the last few years, which one (if possible to chose), really stands out as your personal favorite? SS: There have been so many memorable individual sets, but in terms of shows I'm gonna have to go with Burning Fight in May 2009. I know it's almost cheating given how stacked the lineup was, but I don't think I'll ever attend a show that tops it. It was the first time I was taken seriously as someone who documents and it was an amazing honor to be a part of it. Plus, some of the sets that weekend are among my top 10 all time favorites: 108, Trial, Unbroken, etc. I lost count of how many times I pulled away from the camera viewfinder and literally said, "wow" as I watched mayhem from unfold all around me. As for shows that I didn't film personally, the most important one(s) to me were the 1/08/11 weekend shows with 108. Specifically the 108/Damnation AD show in Philly on 1/09. I obliterated my body but found so much solace in the process.

TB: Lets say you have the opportunity to put on a five band show and can book any act (past or present). What 5 bands would you chose and why?SS: In terms of hardcore bands...I'd go with my favorite bands from each of the "eras": Minor Threat, Inside Out, 108, Damnation AD, Pulling Teeth. Here's why: Minor Threat is obvious (though I'd prefer they never play again for the sake of their legacy). Inside Out was my gateway band. 108 and Damnation AD have helped me through some pretty bad times in my life. Pulling Teeth was one of the of the more current bands that I completely adored. The fact that they managed to cause kids to pulverize each other in support of gay marriage is the most brilliant thing to ever come out of hardcore. And Jud Jud would play the after show. There have been rumors that no one can corroborate about how Jud Jud actually played shows and would bring drums and cabs, set everything up, and go on with their a cappella set. I want that to be real more than anything.

TB: I thank you for your time Sunny, but I have one more to go. Say its 11:30 PM on December 20, 2012. You only have time to play one last record (hardcore or otherwise) before the impending Alien Apocalypse/Japanese nuclear meltdown/meteor strike/or Karl Buechner Firestorm, what would you chose?SS: This is something that changes frequently. I might have to go with All Else Failed--specifically "Route 1". I slept on that band but shooting that song at This Is Hardcore 2011 was one of the most chilling and emotional moments ever and I often think about how I would capture it again.

Toxicbreed Funhouse would like to thank Sunny for his time and effort. Be sure to check out the links below and help support hate5six!

Debut 7 inch from unfortunately now defunct Tampa, Florida hardcore band Devout. They have decided to offer the release for free download, but they do still have a few copies of the 7 inch left so hit them up via their facebook if you want to get a copy.Highly recommended FFO:Converge, Cursed and Page 99.